REDTRON_SE
Key Features
- Nine Mellotron-derived sound types cover flute, violins, cello, brass, choir, strings, woodwinds, and more.
- Non-looping samples retain the short playback length and natural endings associated with the original tape instrument.
- Two sound slots support layered or split keyboard arrangements with octave shifting.
- Volume, tone, pan, tuning, envelope, delay, and reverb controls are independently available for sounds A and B.
- The Mellotronic Click Switch adds randomized key-on clicks with an adjustable intensity control.
- Global volume, tone, and pitch settings make fast overall adjustments possible.
- Full MIDI automation supports changing the instrument's controls within a DAW project.
Description
REDTRON_SE is a Windows VST instrument from Artifake Labs that turns nine sampled sounds from a 1973 Mellotron M400S into a compact, deliberately imperfect tape-keyboard palette. Its flute, violin, cello, brass, choir, string, and woodwind choices preserve the short, non-looping behavior of the original tapes, including many of their natural endings.
The two-part layout lets you layer or split sounds A and B, shift their octaves, and give each side separate volume, tone, pan, tuning, delay, reverb, attack, release, octave, and note settings. That makes it useful for pairing a bright flute with a darker string or choir layer, then shaping each half without moving to a second instance.
A dedicated Mellotronic Click Switch adds randomly generated key-on clicks at a controllable intensity; it can be disabled, and it is inactive when the attack is raised above zero. Global volume, tone, and pitch controls provide a quick final trim, while full MIDI automation supports changes during a performance or arrangement.
This is a focused legacy instrument rather than a modern all-purpose workstation: KVR lists it as a Windows VST plug-in, and the developer-hosted download remains a public 138.27 MB ZIP. It suits producers who want the limited length, tape-like quirks, and instantly recognizable orchestral colors associated with early Mellotron parts.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What sounds are included in REDTRON_SE?
The developer lists nine sound types: MKII Flute, MKII 3 Violins, M400 Cello, MKII Brass, M400 Combined Choir, M400 String Section, M400 Woodwinds, M300A Violins, and M300B Violin. They are based on Taijiguy's samples from a 1973 Mellotron M400S.
Can REDTRON_SE layer two sounds?
Yes. Its two slots, A and B, can be layered or split, with octave shift available. Each side has its own volume, tone, pan, tuning, delay, reverb, attack, release, octave, and note controls.
What does the Mellotronic Click Switch do?
It creates randomized clicks at the start of notes to mimic tape contact behavior in a hardware Mellotron. A rotary control adjusts the amount, and the developer notes that the switch is inactive when the attack setting is above zero.
Which systems and plug-in format does it support?
The current KVR listing identifies REDTRON_SE as a Windows VST plug-in. The official Artifake Labs page does not publish additional operating-system or host requirements, so compatibility beyond that listing should be checked in your DAW before relying on it.
